Planning Department

Here you will find information on planning and development in Canton, including the Town’s planning-related boards & commissions, plans & studies, and development & construction related information. It is our goal to provide the same information here that you can obtain in our office. The Planning Department handles all matters related to zoning, floodplain management, annexation, addressing and the Town website.

We encourage you to use the website or visit the Canton Town Hall to obtain more information about the Canton community to assist you with your development project in Canton. The staff at Town Hall are available for walk-ins and appointments.

PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Please fill out and complete the appropriate fillable form below and submit it to talexander@cantonnc.com to be reviewed.

• Zoning Permit Application
• Development Review Application
• Property Owner Consent Form
• Sign Permit Application
• Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance

PUBLIC NOTICES

• Public Hearing 208 Painter Street
• Ordinance to Extend the Corporate Limits

TOWN OF CANTON LAND USE PLAN 2022

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The Town of Canton is comfortably nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Haywood County. Its visitors and residents enjoy proximity to the City of Asheville as well as natural amenities such as trails and parks. At its core, the Town reflects its origins in wood, water, and steel. Construction of the Champion Fibre Company Mill caused an explosion of the Town’s early population. The mill processed lumber for wood pulp and intended to utilize the Pigeon River to transport products. However, upon discovering that the river was not an efficient transportation method, construction of railroad lines began. This establishment of industry and connectivity nurtured the Town and thus, Canton was truly born through industrial development.

Today, visitors and residents can still enjoy the calm waters of Pigeon River and hear the freight cars transporting goods from the iconic plant. However, this Town’s story is far from complete. Future park creation, new land development requests, recent and historic flooding events, and emerging economic opportunities require that the Town of Canton be proactive in its planning and development. Land use decisions must work to improve the built environment of the Town rather than constrain it. The Town’s past was associated with wood, water, and steel. Ingenuity, creativity, and holistic planning will guide its future.

LAND USE MAP 2022

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